Songs of War
by Azrubel
Summary: An Eldar Craftworld is moved to another galaxy by some unknown force. Though strangers in a strange place, one constant is still there. War. Rated M for language and later on violent themes.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own neither Warhammer 40.000 or Star Wars. Rather Obviously.

* * *

The Craftworld harmonically coasted through space on its sails, the immense bulk of the vessel shining brightly against the darkness of the void.

A continent of gleaming spires and great domes, bridges and docks and Webway gates. Sails stretching for thousands of kilometers. Fleets of wraithships, from destroyers and frigates to battleships circled the Craftworld, as trade ships and civilian vessels sped through the void of space.

Laeran looked outside the viewport, his niece, Elamae at his side. His sister's child, Laeran had raised her after her death and the departure of the child's father, as if the child was his own. He'd only hoped he had done that well enough. His niece was an intelligent and talented, if serious child.

Not for long, however. Laeran mused. In a few passes' time, she would be an adult, and choose her first Path. In fact, it would be a good question to ask her. Elamae seemed to be occupied observing the passing ships.

"Elamae" he spoke calmly. His niece turned around. "You will not be a child forever. There will come a time for you to choose a Path; hopefully the first of many. Out of all the Paths of our people, which one would you choose to follow?"

Elamae sat in contemplation, stroking her chin with her hand. "I do not know yet. Mother was a Seer, but I don't know if I want to follow in her footsteps."

"Your mother was a Mariner before she was a Seer, and an Artist before that.

His niece looked at him inquisitively. "I know that already uncle, what are you trying to tell me?"

Laeran sighed. "What I am trying to tell you is that the Paths we choose to walk in life are a necessity, but they are not the entirety of our being. We learn from our experiences there, and move on."

"Perhaps you are right, uncle." He noticed the uncertainty in Elamae's voice, but decided not to press the issue further.

"Now, Elamae, I think the traders may have brought some things that would interest you. I don't suppose my exalted and most wise niece would mind examining their wares?"

His niece's smile was enough answer for him.

...

"Now we take our seats as equals, members of the Seer Council." Eldrad Ulthran declared, as he did at the beginning of every gathering of the Seer Council. Even at his venerable age, he still actively took part in the leadership of the Craftworld, both at home and on campaigns.

Eltherion observed the other Farseers – his brethren, strange as the thought might have seemed not so long ago.

The Staff of Ulthamar at his side, and wearing his rune armour, Eldrad himself was seated at the head of the table, a seat reserved for the most senior Farseer. A legend in his own lifetime, and Ulthwe's greatest Seer, most of the members of the Seer Council attending had been influenced by his teachings, directly or indirectly.

At Eldrad's right, dressed in black, white and gold was a woman with silver hair tied in a topknot, and the sigil of Ulthwe tattooed on her face. Farseer Caerys, one of Eldrad's disciples. Eltherion did not know her personally, though he had heard of her involvement in several campaigns against the forces of Chaos.

Next to her was Calendril, the scarred, hairless Seer with his Gyrinx familiar. He preferred white or grey clothing, decorated with black runes. One of the older members of the Council, and an experienced commander who had accompanied Ulthwe's fleet against an Ork Waagh attacking an Exodite world.

Seated next to Eltherion, and dressed in Ulthwe's traditional heraldry was another Farseer he was more familiar with. Taldeer the Dreamer, another experienced member of the Council, and entrusted with the location of several Tomb Worlds of the Necrontyr. Eltherion however knew her as one of those who had helped him during his training as a Seer. They still maintained a friendly relationship due to that.

There were of course other members of the Council who were not attending in person. Like Orokin, or Irrilim, Idranel and others.

And of there were those who had passed on, their seats now held by others. Many had joined their brethren in the Dome of Crystal Seers. Others had fallen in battle, their spirit stones now part of the Infinity Circuit.

The council went into a meditative stance. Eltherion let his body free, as he observed the universe through his mind's eye. When he had first done so, at the time he walked the first steps of his path it had been an experience equally terrifying and awe-inspiring. Now it was like breathing, hearing or smelling. Eltherion guided his spirit through the Craftworld, as he could see and feel the echo the thoughts and emotions of the Eldar within left in the Warp.

He recalled the answers of the runes as he cast them, his own inquiries and search, the results of his meditations. Eltherion shared them all with the Council, as they did. At the same time he imparted his visions, he would see theirs play out in front of his eyes.

Some strands ran differently, but all had the same conclusion. A storm approaching the Craftworld, and then nothing. The visions all ended in the same way. And so, Eltherion waited in silence.

 _They sit in silence as well. They do not know. And neither do I._

This perhaps terrified him most of all. When a Seer, even a Farseer saw an unclear vision or fate, other Seers would be there to give advice, or share their own visions.

 _But the greatest of us have gathered here, and we all know nothing._

Caerys was the first to speak up. "Isha's tears.."

Eltherion broke his meditation, and returned to his body. He heard Calendril's raspy voice. "That vision..A storm, then nothingness. If the Craftworld were to be destroyed, we would see it. Ulthwe in flames, our people dead, the vision would reveal it."

"But this is stranger." Taldeer said. Eltherion could see the tension in the chamber; even Eldrad stood in silence.

"Perhaps this does not mean destruction, as we might be led to think." she continued.

"Are you willing to gamble the lives of everyone living in Ulthwe on that chance?" Calendril retorted.

Eltherion tried to end any chance at an argument before it would begin. "No. I am certain that Farseer Taldeer does not want to risk our lives on unclear portents." he said before Taldeer could respond to Calendril. "But we have to make our choices. Doom is approaching, and fate unravels." he said. "It is our choices that will decide this, we need to act, not argue!"

Taldeer nodded in approval. Calendril seemed to agree as well. "Very well, Eltherion. What do you propose that we do, then?" Caerys said.

Eltherion thought. Thinking of potential solutions, but finding that he had no good advice to offer. The other members of the Seer Council seemed to wait for an answer, except Eldrad, who still had not stirred.

 _Has he even broken his meditation? Perhaps he is searching for an answer?_

Eltherion hoped it was the latter.

"We should summon the Exarchs and Autarchs." proposed Calendril. "If our divinations cannot help us, then advice from others might." It wasn't an idea without merit.

"Perhaps organizing an evacuation might be in order. If this storm strike us, we must save all the lives we can." said Taldeer. Another good idea, thought Eltherion, though he was not sure where to flee to. However, he felt a thrumming at the back of his head, as if a noise repeated over and over, preventing him from concentrating.

Caerys seemed to agree with both proposals. "The other Craftworlds may be willing to help if we contact them. Or the Exodite worlds."

Eltherion could feel the thrumming noise get stronger, more intense. Were the others feeling it?

Suddenly, he heard Eldrad Ulthran's voice. He only said two words. "No time."

Then he started feeling the Craftworld itself rock. He stood up from his seat, and looked outside at the viewports of the Spire of Seers. A rift in the materium, opened next to the Craftworld itself. The Seer Council was stunned.

The storm was pulling the Craftworld and all the surrounding ships inside. The chamber rocked as they drew ever closer to the Eye of the Storm.

Eltherion closed his eyes as he saw the storm slowly engulf the Craftworld, as he and the other Farseers pronounced the only prayer they had left.

 _Shea nudh Asuryanish ereintha Asuryanat_

...

Darkness was all that Elamae could see. The Craftworld swayed and rocked as warning alarms blared. Her uncle tried to shield herbefore she lost sight of him, but she knew what was happening. Her home would be destroyed, and she would die. She was terrified.

 _Was that how mother felt before she died?_ Elamae wondered. She still remembered, hearing the news. Her mother died fighting.

 _She was brave. I must be brave too._

She bit her lip, to stop her shivering. If she were to die, she'd face doom with dignity. That is what she had been told.

However, she was still alive, and so were the others beside her, their presence could be felt and heard. Soon, light was restored. Everyone was still there.

Silence.

They were still alive. Whatever happened, they had survived. "Elamae." she heard her uncle's voice. She swept up to him and embraced him tightly, tears in her eyes.

"We're alive. Don't worry, we're alive." Laeran whispered.

...

Captain Mon Halan of the Republic cruiser _Defiant_ felt exhausted. The Defiant, along with a group of the few other warships that had made it through Taris were limping back towards the more secure sectors of Republic space.

Admiral Veltraa had been killed over Taris, leaving the Mon Calamari officer to lead what remained of his battlegroup to retreat. Ten Hammerheads, four of them too beat up to put up a fight, about twenty damaged Forays, several squadrons of fighters and a motley collection of civilian ships that the Mandos hadn't blown out of the sky.

 _So much for holding the line._ Halan thought. They had to rethink the situation. _The Mandos won't be intimidated into submission by posturing lines of ships. The bastards broke through the Navy battlegroups near Taris like they were nothing._

He heard the clanking of boots behind him. "Sir." he saw his second-in-command, Lieutenant Kaalnar Shinn, salute him. "Permission to speak, Captain?" the human from Corulag said.

"Granted, Lieutenant. Unless you intend to urge me to return to Taris and lead us to the Mandalorian guns, of course."

Halan looked at the human blush at the reminder of his foolish suggestion to fight to the death. _Too much pride and patriotism, not enough brains._

"No, sir. But we will be exiting hyperspace soon enough. Will we retreat to the nearest safe planet? Or will we try to contact the Republic?"

Mon Halan sat in thought. "First, we take account of our losses, and assess the situation. Then, we try to contact the Republic, let them know that we have survived. After that, we will await further orders."

"Yes, sir." the lieutenant saluted again and left. Halan turned to the helmsmen.

"When will we be exiting hyperspace?" he requested firmly,

"Two minutes, Captain."

 _Good._ Hopefully the Mandalorians were not pursuing. If they were, he hoped that they didn't send significant forces.

"One minute."

Halan waited, counting the seconds as he looked out of the bridge's viewport.

"We are exiting hyperspace now, Captain."

The ship decelerated to real-space, as did the rest of the flotilla at varying speeds. Mon Halan heard the panicked voices of the helmsmen.

"Captain, our sensors are picking up several large objects!"

 _Mandos? Now? By the stars, we aren't ready for this!_

He felt his body stiffen up, as if standing at attention. "Mandos?" the captain felt the need to ask for clarification before ordering them to ready their weapons.

"Negative, sir. But they seem to be starships. Not ours, either."

This was officially Republic space, though this part was uninhabited. What could they be, Mon wondered.

"Close in. Get them on screen." he ordered. The bridge crew followed his orders. The holoscreen was turned on. It showed several objects, ranging from the size of fighters, to several kilometers long. And the largest..

"By the Force." several crewmen exclaimed. The largest object was the size of a continent, or a small moon.

 _How could anything so big possibly be constructed?_

The smaller starships seemed to form up, as if to defend the larger ship. And they all looked so strange, unlike any ships Mon Halan had seen before. Sleek, with no hard angles. Wings, possibly sails of many shapes and sizes, and the majority of them were coloured black and white.

Solar sails were used frequently, though they were a feature of starship design often considered antiquated these days. But these did not seem to match with any known design, like the ships they were attached to.

Lieutenant Shinn was next to him, looking equally astounded. "Orders, Captain?" he asked expectantly.

Captain Halan took a deep breath. "Try to communicate with them. If they seem to be preparing to fire at us, then we retreat ASAP. Understood, Lieutenant?"

"Yes, Captain!"

 _Here's hoping we get out of this alive._

...

The Warp was..strange, strange than the Farseer had ever felt it. It seemed calm, calmer than he had ever felt it before, even when he meditated at the deepest reaches of the Craftworld, undisturbed by any others, or when walking in the verdant Maiden Worlds of his ancient kin.

Even there, the turbulence of the Warp could be felt. And along with it, the eye of She-who-Thirsts. In his home of Ulthwé, orbiting the warpstorm that the humans called the Eye of Terror, where the material and spiritual realms spilled into each other, the Warp was in a state of constant turmoil.

 _Focus, Eltherion. There will be time for contemplation later._

It had not been long since the storm that engulfed the Craftworld had led them to this place. Even now, reports were flooding in. No one had been harmed, fortunately enough. But there was something more important. The Webway gates were not functional, and all attempts by the Wayseers to repair them had ended in failure. According to them, it was as if the Webway was no longer there.

And now, the appearance of starships had been reported as well. They emerged suddenly, and they were few in number. _This riddle seems to be getting more complicated as time goes on._ The Farseer thought.

The Seer Council had already been gathered when they appeared. Now, the new issue was what to do with them.

"They do not resemble the primitive vessels of the mon-keigh, or those of them that are corrupted by the Ruinous Powers. Neither are they the crude ships of the barbaric Orks, or any other race's that I have encountered." said Calendril.

Caerys was quick to argue. "Destroy them. They must not learn of our presence here in our weakened state."

"In normal circumstances, I would concur." Calendril answered. "But my experience tells me that we must first try to establish contact, then make our decision. They seem damaged, and they are few in number. If they decide to attack, or we make the choice to eradicate them, the odds are in our favour."

"I agree with Farseer Calendril." Eltherion declared. "They may carry information that is useful to us." he did not voice his concern with the idea of immediate aggression against the 'lesser species' however.

Eldrad Ulthran raised his voice. "They try to communicate with us at this very moment. Their message has not reached us yet, but their intents are not hostile." he said. "As the most senior member of this Council, I would recommend that we answer back." Eldrad continued with a hint of a smile crossing his features.

True enough, the psychically-based communication systems returned a transmission. First recited in an unknown language, different from the Low Gothic commonly used by humans, then translated to the language of the Eldar.

"Unidentified vessels, this is Captain Mon Halan of the Galactic Republic Navy." It then seemed to pause for a moment. "We come peacefully. We do not have hostile intentions towards your race."

...

Mon Halan had never felt so anxious, even in battle. Battle at the very least was something he was trained for, but he was no diplomat. He didn't know how to conduct a first contact situation with unknown species. And of course, he neglected to mention that this area of space technically belonged to the Republic. Some stakes over territory that did not even register as 'minor' were best left temporarily forgotten if one were to find a fleet of massive, unknown starships in that area of space.

He stood on the bridge, waiting after the transmission was sent. Perhaps this species' technology was not compatible with that most of the galaxy used, as unlikely as that was. Then, he turned around, only to see a group of humanoid creatures. He could see that the rest of the bridge crew turned around as well, some pressing their hands close to their sidearms.

A group of at least fifteen aliens was standing on his bridge, having seemingly appeared out of nowhere. They bore a resemblance to humans, though their features were sharper, and their builds thinner and taller in comparison. And they had somehow appeared right behind him.

One of them spoke. "We would advise you not to raise your weapons."

Halan tried to speak, but the Lieutenant cut him off before he could. "What - who are you?"

Another of the group spoke this time. "We are the Seer Council. We represent Craftworld Ulthwé of the Eldar.

"Why do you intrude on our affairs, Captain?" another one questioned more aggressively.

"This area of the galaxy is officially Republic space. But we retreated here after we..lost a battle. We do not intend on remaining here long, however if you wish, the Republic will send dignitaries and ambassadors at the nearest opportunity." He thought of lying, telling that they were a routine patrol. Perhaps a display of strength would dissuade them from any hostile actions.

But the damage on his ships was obvious, and who knew how these 'Eldar' would take being lied to?

"No. You will not send any dignitaries for now. But we have a demand. You will enter the Craftworld, captain, and address us in person. Your fleet will not be fired upon during that time."

They wanted him to meet them in person? Why? They had just refused his offer of sending Republic ambassadors.

"I have civilian vessels under my protection, along with the warships. Will you guarantee their safety?"

Another of the Seers, a female if he were to guess replied. "You are not in a bargaining position, captain. However, we guaranteed that the ships in your group will remain unharmed, and we will keep our word. Hopefully, we will reach a more conclusive arrangement after our talks are over."

Halan thought about what they offered him. Their refusal of actual diplomats was still suspicious, but their offer of an actual meeting seemed sound, if curious, though there was the danger that they wanted hostages.

 _But if they do want hostages, they could disable our ships, and capture us._

However, he saw no better option.

"I accept." Mon Halan said.

The Seer at the center of the group nodded. "Good. We will send a ship to bring you to the Craftworld."

Then, they disappeared as suddenly as they appeared.

Teleportation? Most scientists seemed to consider the idea infeasible. But perhaps they were wrong. However, he'd heard stories from those who had served in the Sith War, and in the Krath conflicts before that. They said the Force users they faced could do many things, like turning the weapons of their enemies against them, or conjure hostile beasts. Halan had not studied the Jedi or the Force as others did, but he knew not to underestimate them. Perhaps these 'Eldar' were adept in the Force?

Mon turned to his second-in-command. "What do you think of this, Lieutenant?"

"I'm not sure what to make of it, sir. But I think that their hostility or lack thereof will be decided when you meet them." the human replied.

 _He isn't off the mark_ , the Captain thought. "And what led you to this premise?" he asked, more out of curiousity than anything.

"They certainly do not seem friendly, sir. In fact, I'd say they are as uncertain here as we are. The way their ships encircled us – they seemed ready to blast us at any moment. But now they want to talk. However, they also refused your offer. Maybe they do not want their presence here to be known?"

Mon thought on the answer. It was a good explanation, and one he hadn't expected from the typically brash lieutenant. "Good thinking. You should use your head more often, Lieutenant. You may even find it useful."

"In any case," the Captain continued. "Prepare a shuttle. I suspect our ride will arrive soon enough."

...

As they were approaching the Craftworld, Mon Halan could not help but admire the massive construction. The architecture was beautiful, the graceful spires shining and domes of the massive construct . As they closed in, they could even glimpse trees and parks, plazas and houses as their shuttle flew by. This was not any ship, but a city! If it was mobile, he could certainly understand why they had not encountered them before.

He'd left the lieutenant on the Defiant, only taking a squad of troopers, along with a medic. They wouldn't help much, but it felt safer than going alone. He looked over to them, and saw that they were just as astounded as he was, chattering to each other about what they were seeing.

"This place is massive!" Mon overheard one of the troops say.

"It's like a city with thrusters. How can it even move?"

If only there was an actual diplomat, he mused. Halan had received some basic diplomatic training, like all Republic Navy officers, but it wouldn't be enough to make first contact with an unknown species.

The shuttle approached a large spire, which the Republic captain estimated to be about five kilometers tall, and resembled some sort of docking tower. He could see walkways, and the beings waiting there, looking diminutive compared to their surroundings. Below the tower were what Halan guessed were the docks themselves. There were several quays and hangars, along with several docked vessels of various shapes and sizes. The ship approached, and docked to one of the bays.

Mon Halan felt the ship slow down and then stop altogether. Standing up, he turned to his retinue. They stood at attention, as the shuttle's ramp lowered. The captain straightened his uniform, and took a deep breath. _Time for the plunge, I suppose._

...

Eltherion made his way to the familiar sight of Ulthwé's docks. This particular one was a civilian dock, not too dissimilar to the one where he departed the Craftworld from all those centuries ago, when he started his wanderings.

The Farseer could still remember them all. His old companions, a group of outcasts from all corners of the galaxy. Caerdrad, the cheerful ranger from Biel-tan, Esarsys the steersman from Alaitoc, Osinys the grim Exodite...And then there were his fellow Eldar of Ulthwé, who like him had departed for various reasons. Of all of them, Eltherion was the only one to return home.

Some had died, others were lost, and some still walked the galaxy, last he heard. Though he doubted he would ever see them again, even before Ulthwé was found in this strange predicament, now made more complicated by this 'Galactic Republic'.

 _Yet another state claiming rulership of the galaxy. Either very naive, like the Tau Empire in the galactic east, or –_ Eltherion dismissed the possibility, writing it off as absurd. _But is it?_

Doubt gnawed at him. The larger part of the galaxy was mapped, and while there may be locations left uncharted, why would they find humans in such places? The stars here were strange, in the little time they had to observe them. In any case, the truth of the matter would have to wait, the vessel carrying the captain was approaching.

Eltherion had chosen to greet the officer himself, as the rest of the Council deliberated. He had more experience with other sentients, gained in his travels. _Better me than someone who would rather see them eradicated._

Of course, it was lucky that this fleet encountered Ulthwé, and in such a strangely vulnerable position. And even then, letting them live thus far was a close matter. Now the lives of these sentients depended on the words of their captain. _For their sake, I hope he can speak well._

Said captain was arriving just now, the Farseer watched the shuttle close in, gracefully swooping down like a bird, sails folding as the nimble starship locked onto the dock. A ramp extended from the craft, and out came a group of ten. Their bearing was military, not unlike that of the human Imperium's personnel and they bore weapons. Their uniforms were certainly not designed for intense combat, though some were wearing flak jackets and helmets.

At their head was an alien, a goggly-eyed being with gills that bore some resemblance to a fish. A species unknown to the Farseer, and he wasn't the only one. In his retinue, there were several more aliens, including a purple-skinned one with long head-tails, which judging by the appearance was probably a female, a red-skinned one with long horns and the strangest of the group; a green, bipedal insectoid.

Among them of course, were humans. Humans, those Eltherion knew well enough. Pawns, enemies, allies of opportunity, humanity had played all of those parts to the Eldar at one point or another.

 _A rather unusual menagerie_. He had never seen such a large group of separate species working with one another before.

Eltherion approached the captain, extending his hand as a gesture of trust. "Welcome to Craftworld Ulthwé, captain. We have been expecting you."

The captain shook his hand. Though he could not guess at the alien's expression, he could sense an amount of relief. "I am Farseer Eltherion, a member of the Seer Council. You would be Captain Halan, correct?" the Farseer continued.

The alien nodded. "Yes." he replied. "I recognize you, Farseer. You were aboard my ship."

Eltherion suppressed a smile. He was never there, not truly. Not that the captain needed to know that for now. "You must leave your weapons at the ship. They will not be needed here."

Halan motioned to his group to drop their weapons. He himself unholstered a pistol, and handed it to one of the others.

"Thank you for your cooperation. A transport is waiting nearby." Eltherion said. "I hope we will be able to reach an agreement."

* * *

So, this is the first chapter done. If you like it, or really just have some input to provide, drop a review. I appreciate the feedback, and I'm always looking for advice to improve. Though as a warning, this story will not be following certain bits of the Star Wars EU, mostly related to certain MMOs or their tie-in novels.


	2. Chapter 2

I may have made a decision that will be unpopular.

* * *

This was shaping up to be one of the most eventful days in Mon Halan's life. First, the end of the Taris defensive line and his narrow escape. Now, being the first to encounter an advanced and quite possibly dangerous alien civilization.

He and his retinue followed Farseer Eltherion. The tall, slender alien certainly cut an impressive figure, with his elegantly decorated white and black robes and long dark hair. Halan had seen Jedi more than once, and in a way he was reminded of them when looking at the person who welcomed them.

As they were led through the docks, he thought it wouldn't hurt to converse a bit, at least to ease the tensions.

"Farseer Eltherion, with your permission, I would like to ask you some questions." he requested formally.

"You have it, Captain Halan." the Eldar replied calmly.

Not the warmest of replies, but he couldn't afford to be picky, the captain thought.

"We – the Republic, that is have not encountered your species before. But the Republic values its territorial integrity, and the cause of galactic peace. In the name of peaceful co-existence, will you be willing to abide by those rules?"

He was hoping he had not offended, before talks had even began. "Captain Halan, I am certain that we will discuss such matters later on. Though I would advise you to be more tactful when you bring this up then."

"Your council then," Halan asked. "Do they govern this Craftworld?"

"Yes." the Eldar answered. "We guide Ulthwé, though some would say that ruling is not the correct term to use."

Mon thought that choice of words interesting. Maybe they were spiritual leaders of some sort? It would certainly fit with how they called themselves seers.

He had also noticed that as they were conversing, they had also walked further into the Craftworld. Now they had left the docks, and reached an open area. From there, several large plazas, what looked like houses and restaurants, parks and even a waterfall.

Once again, Mon had to admit that this place was impressive. While not nearly as large or inhabited as the urban sprawls of Coruscant or even the rapidly-declining Taris, Ulthwé was more beautiful than either. _Wouldn't mind spending shore leave on a place like this._

The Farseer stepped towards a circular platform, and touched the railings. The platform hummed softly.

"Come aboard." Eltherion said to Mon and his party. Captain Halan was first to climb, then his troops followed. The platform gently started lifting upwards, taking the passengers away from the docks. _Repulsorlift tech, nothing unusual._ Halan thought as several similar platforms flew at their sides or in the distance, along with smaller one-man vehicles.

They were now being taken even higher, and he could see an enormous structure looming ahead. A silver and black tower, stretching upwards for kilometers, higher than the dome that protected this area. He could not see the pinnacle from his location.

"What is this place?" he asked, half to himself, half to Eltherion.

"That is the Spire of Seers." replied the Eldar. "It is where our council gathers. And where we're headed."

"So, I'll be seeing your council as soon as possible?" Halan asked hopefully.

"I doubt it. We _do_ tend to take our time, Captain. You'll be provided quarters, however."

"I don't think we could refuse." Halan sighed. _I wonder how I'll be explaining all this to the brass when we get back._

* * *

Eltherion entered the council's chamber to find they were in session. He had already informed them of the arrival of the captain and his party via a psychic message. In the room was another Eldar, dressed in deep purple robes trimmed with gold, one of the Wayseers.

The Webway gates were still unresponsive, despite their best efforts, something that continued to flummox them. It made utterly no sense, in even the most isolated reaches of the galaxy the ancient network could still be accessed if a gate was present. As the Wayseer was talking, Eltherion turned his attention to a cycle of reports from the mariners regarding their position in the galaxy.

According to them, no known stars of the galaxy were visible, which made ascertaining their position difficult. _Hm. Perhaps the Captain would provide astrogation charts to help us if pressed._ Eltherion mused.

Suddenly, it struck him.

 _The Captain! His Republic, the stars, the Webway!_ It all made sense now! The same theory that he had dismissed as utterly absurd was true. He sent a psychic message to the rest of the council, urging them to dismiss the Wayseer so they could discuss the matter privately.

Calendril quickly spoke up. "Thank you for your efforts Wayseer, but you may leave now. There is an urgent matter to discuss." Eltherion noticed a certain edge as the other Farseer spoke those last words.

The Wayseer bowed her head slightly in respect, and left. "Now you have the privacy you desired, Eltherion." Calendril noted drily.

 _Worry not, esteemed Calendril. I shall not waste your valuable time._ Eltherion almost wanted to say, but there were more pressing matters. "I have found the reason we cannot access the Webway." he said, more nervously than he expected. The other Seers looked at him. "As unlikely as it may sound, I believe the storm took us to another galaxy, maybe further."

After a long pause, Taldeer spoke first. "Are you sure of this, Eltherion?" she asked.

"Why else would we be unable to use the Webway? There have been Craftworlds thrown into the far reaches of the galaxy, but the Webway was there!" he explained. "We have contacted a state which we have never heard of before."

"The latter could be explained otherwise," Caerys pointed out. "The minor empires and petty states of the other races of the galaxy are beyond counting. This 'Galactic' Republic could be one of these, albeit one with delusions of grandeur...However, your other points make sense."

"We have the captain here. It is time to summon him and find out." said Eltherion.

* * *

Halan sat, waiting. He had been summoned by another Eldar, at the orders of the Seer Council he was supposed to meet. The same council that had kept him waiting for several hours, though he didn't have any complaints about getting a chance to sleep.

Now, he only needed to wait until he was admitted inside. Soon enough, the large, elegantly-decorated doors to the council's chamber opened. The room itself was large, with a high ceiling and several stairways leading to the center of the chamber, where there was a table, set with strange crystals and carved writings. Mon also saw several large viewports, looking out to the rest of Ulthwé, and several banners depicting a white crying eye on a black background hanging from the ceiling. At the table, eighteen Eldar were seated. _The Seer Council, I presume._

The Captain stepped forward confidently, the Eldar at his side leading him before the council, then turning around, and returning to one of the corners of the room. Now, alone before the judging gaze of these strange aliens, who seemed to examine his every move, Halan felt powerless.

At least they were the ones to speak first. A man, with dark hair flecked with streaks of white, wearing different robes, ones that almost looked like ornate light armour, his eyes were a strange shade of purple. "We summoned you here for a reason." the Eldar at the head of the table said. Halan was annoyed by both the abruptness and seeming arrogance, but in his position, he could not afford to talk back, as much as he wanted to.

"We could have easily destroyed your fleet, Captain." the Seer continued. "But, instead we invited you here. So, I will explain the situation to you as simply as possible. We need information."

Information? What sort of information would they need? "I am an officer of the Republic Navy." Halan stated firmly. "I will not give you any information that can be used against the Republic."

"Calm down, Captain Halan." said another Seer. Mon recognized him as the one who escorted him through the Craftworld earlier, Eltherion. "The information we require is more..innocuous."

 _What does he mean by that?_ Mon thought. As if he had read his thoughts, another Eldar spoke up. "What extent of territory does your Republic claim?"

 _Really, there wouldn't be any harm done by answering such a question. Though I don't want to know what sort of rock they've been hiding under._

"The Galactic Republic encompasses the Core Worlds, Inner and Mid Rims, along with a significant part of the Outer Rim." he answered. "If you don't believe me, I can back up my words with a star map." The Eldar looked to be contemplating his words as he waited silently. He heard them speaking amongst themselves. It was the Eldar language, he guessed. Very..musical, in a way.

"No, that will not be needed." Eltherion said. Mon noted his voice was strangely disturbed, in contrast to the more confident tone he had before. He wondered what the reason was. They couldn't have been planning to be hostile, could they? _Though if that's the case, I might've just scared them off that prospect. The Mandalorians are bad enough already, the Republic doesn't need any more enemies while they're bearing down our throats._ Taris – and the numerous battles before were the most intense military operations Mon took part in. But perhaps if this Craftworld were to persuaded to aid the Republic - He was interrupted from his thoughts by another one of the Eldar.

"How do your starships travel through the galaxy?" she requested. Despite the tenseness of the situation, Mon was amazed. Who in the galaxy didn't know about hyperspace technology, but could create such advanced ships? The biggest ships in the Republic fleet, the Inexpugnable-class that were three thousand meters in diameter, and quite a few of the Eldar ships he saw were much bigger. And of course, the Craftworld itself dwarfed anything the Republic had built that Halan knew of.

He tried to think of a way to explain hyperspace to the Seers. "We use hyperspace to travel the galaxy." he said. "A scientist would be able to explain the principles better than me. But I have to ask, how do you not know about hyperdrives?"

"That is not for you to know, Captain." said the Eldar Halan presumed to be the head Seer. "However, the information you gave us was..helpful."

Mon had an idea. "If you let me and my fleet leave this place peacefully, we could arrange for a trade. I'm certain you have something to give us in return for hyperdrives."

* * *

He was right. Whatever happened with that storm, Ulthwé had been taken to a different galaxy. And once again Eltherion was at a loss. What would happen now? This situation was unprecedented, in all the eon-spanning history of the Eldar nothing remotely similar had happened – that they had heard of, at least. He wanted to blame something, someone. Fate's whims, his own negligence, anything. All this, it made the situation even graver. Ulthwé was cut off from the Webway, isolated from all other Eldar. Stranded in an unknown place.

How would the others in the Craftworld take the news? Many of them had loved ones in other Craftworlds or worlds. There were strike forces in various locations in the galaxy. They would most likely never see their home again. Worse yet, Ulthwé was one of the most powerful Craftworlds, its loss would be grave news for the Eldar.

 _Compose yourself. Despairing will not help._

They had to decide on a course of action. First, what to do with the captain. Then..he didn't know. Perhaps the runes would provide answers, perhaps not. Judging by the others' silence, they were probably thinking much the same.

Eltherion was returned to reality by the captain speaking. Some sort of trade offer, their drive technology for something else. The Farseer had to admit, it was a fair offer. However, a fair offer was not what Ulthwé needed. While many of their craft could use the Warp when the Webway was not available, it was always a great risk to take, even with the protections their ships were imbued with.

"And why would we need your drives?" he said. "How do we know they are even safe? We can hardly take your word for it, Captain Halan."

Looking at his mind, he saw the alien's reaction before he could actually express it in words. And though he didn't know quite a few words the Captain thought of, it wasn't hard to guess their meaning. Normally, he'd have been amused, but the Farseer was not in a humorous mood after the revelation of where the storm led them.

"Hyperdrives are the most reliable – and fastest way of faster-than-light transportation in the galaxy.

We've been using them for thousands of years." Halan replied.

Eltherion didn't sense any deception in his words, and neither had he before. Halan's honesty was..unexpected. Though he supposed his position did not leave him much room for lying. Or perhaps the alien was honest by nature, as naive as that thought might seem. He turned to the other Farseers.

"Eltherion, the mon-keigh's presence endangers Ulthwé." he heard Taldeer say in the language of the Eldar. "I read his thoughts, he wants a diversion for his state, a shield in the war they are fighting. If he were to give us what he promises, it will be at a price."

"I know that he wants something in return." Eltherion replied, though Taldeer's explanation for his motives was new. And despite her being both older and more experienced than him, he cursed himself inwardly for his carelessness.

"And you would have us fight for his cause in return? You know that is unacceptable as well as I."

"Yes, I know. Which is why I want to resolve this in a way that benefits Ulthwé, and does not endanger Eldar lives."

"While I am not willing to put trust in the machines of the mon-keigh," Caerys interjected. "We have no better option. The Webway is gone, which means we are immobile."

"I'd recommend destroying the alien." Calendril stated flatly. "If he never gets word of our presence out, we will be able to stay safe, at least for a time."

Eltherion glared at Calendril. "And perhaps we should start wearing white and green as well. Or would an aquila like those of the humans be more fitting, Calendril?" he asked sarcastically.

"If word gets back, then word travels fast, Eltherion. Who is to say that this mon-keigh will not lead others here, even unwittingly?"

As much as Eltherion hated to admit it, there was a point in the older Seer's words. There was a war being waged, and Ulthwé could not be embroiled in it. But destroying Halan would make that prospect more likely, not less. "And if we are immobile, they will only find us more easily, however we try to hide. If we destroy them, then we will rid ourselves of someone who can help us."

Caerys raised her voice. "There is perhaps a better solution."

* * *

Now the Eldar were conversing with each other in their own strange language. _Wonderful_. Halan thought. It made him feel locked out of the loop, and he couldn't help but get a bad feeling about the entire situation.

 _Not that their attitude is helping_. He sighed. But given how important the decision was, he could excuse it somewhat.

"We have made a decision." the Eldar at the center pronounced, and Halan perked up as soon as he heard him. "We will let you and your ships leave, peacefully."

 _Yes_! Mon couldn't help but think.

"But we have no desire to be involved in whatever war your kind is fighting." At that, Mon was confused. Had he mentioned the war at some point? "However, you also made an offer. Your drive technology, for something that we could provide."

"Yes, I did." Halan replied, excited. "Have you found an acceptable trade?"

"Can you provide us with what we need to create those drives? If so, we think that letting you pass free is enough compensation." the Eldar stated haughtily.

Halan narrowed his eyes. "That is bla-" he held himself back at the last moment. _And just as they agreed to let you go. Do you want to get yourself killed?_

The Eldar Seer smirked. Halan took a breath, then looked at the Eldar. "The Republic can provide scientists and technicians that could do that. But I cannot convince them to spare the personnel and resources in the middle of a war." There were more sensible ways to argue about this than screaming 'blackmail'. The Eldar started to talk amongst themselves again, before turning towards Mon.

"As we said before, we will not involve ourselves in your wars. However, we have decided to have a delegation accompany you on your return, in order to negotiate for an acceptable trade. These are our terms for letting you go."

They sounded acceptable enough, though he hoped that whatever ambassadors the Eldar sent were more..diplomatic than their government.

"I accept, then." Halan said.

The Seer crossed his fingers, as if waiting for something. "Excellent. If you did not, we may have been forced to destroy you." he commented casually. "We will decide who will accompany you later. Until then, you can remain here."

The captain wanted to think that the part about destroying his fleet was a joke, but something told him otherwise. _What have I gotten myself into?_

* * *

" _More reports are flooding in from the front, as the war with the Mandalorian invaders rages on._ " said the announcer of the holonet news program, an officious, stern-looking Mirialan man.

" _The defensive line at Taris, commanded by the Admirals Jimas Veltraa and Noma Sommos has been broken through by the Mandalorian invaders. Admiral Veltraa was killed-in-action, when his flagship, the Reliance was destroyed. All crewmembers of the Reliance perished_." the announcer stated grimly before continuing on. The screen displayed an image of the late admiral and his flagship.

" _Admiral Sommos' whereabouts are unknown as of now. A fuller list of casualties will be read out later, at midnight, and funeral services will be held next week. Now, moving on to our next segment_.." he continued, but it nobody would listen.

"Fuckin' Mandos." grumbled a Nautolan sitting at the corner of the bar. It was a small, relatively reputable establishment at one of the better parts of this quadrant. "You know how many worlds they've taken and burned? Bastards."

"And what are the Jedi doing while the bucketheads are murdering and burning over there? Sitting their fat asses out." replied another patron. "Yeah, they fought against the Sith – but that was decades ago. They should be out there on the front lines!"

 _They are not wrong_. Thought the young human woman seated at one of the more distant tables, as she sipped her drink, before adjusting her robes slightly, in order to better hide her lightsaber from view. _Irritated as they are, seeing a Jedi is not needed. Better spare myself the trouble._

She had petitioned the Jedi Council at the Temple to aid the Republic more than once – and was rebuffed. The last time, Master Vrook had even threatened the young knight with re-assignment to another world if she were to bring up the matter again. However, she wasn't alone, and she knew that. There were others in the Order's ranks who were not content with the Council's steady refusal to intervene in the war.

 _All they lack is a leader, someone willing to defy the masters_. But none were willing to step up thus far. She expected someone like Kavar to do so; that master was an experienced fighter and leader, and a member of the High Council no less, but like the others he was against Jedi involvement. As for others..The knight's first master, Kae, had been exiled from the Order not long ago, due to a 'scandal' involving the revelation of a child she gave birth to in secret.

That was a hard blow. Arren Kae had trained her from childhood, and even though she later would learn from others as well, she held a lot of respect for her first teacher.

However..A master was not needed, just someone with the vision, skill and will needed to lead. Someone who could inspire the Order to fight and prevail. _If the Council will not listen as the Republic burns, then I will._

The Jedi stepped up to the bar's counter, and the bartender turned towards her. "Anything you want?" he replied in Corellian-accented Basic.

"Just to pay." the woman replied hastily as she checked her wallet. "Though it appears I don't have the money to pay. You wouldn't mind putting it in a tab, would you?"

The bartender pulled a pad from beneath the counter. "Ok...What's the name, gal?"

"Revan." the Jedi replied. "Just Revan."


End file.
